Fluid-operated extensible flask



Sept. 19, 1967 w. A. HUNTER 3,342,253

FLUID-OPERATED EXTENSIBLE FLASK Original Filed Nov. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 STATION I STATIONII.

I WILLIAM ALICXEEI-[JONRTER ATTORNEY Sept. 19, 1967 w. A. HUNTER v 3,342,253

FLUID-OPERATED EXTENSIBLE FLASK Original Filed Nov. 16, I964 ZSheet-Sheet INVENTOR WILLIAM ALLAN HUNTER &4). 544x0 ATTORNEY United States Patent nership Original application Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,538. Divided and this application June 15, 1966, Ser. No. 557,720

3 Claims. (Cl. 164374) This invention relates of improvements in foundry flasks particularly adapted for use with automatic matchplate moulding machines.

This application is a division of Hunter application Ser. No. 411,538, filed Nov. 16, 1964, for Fluid-Operated Extensible Flask.

The invention herein, while not so limited, is particularly adapted for use in automatic matchplate moulding, where it is desired to have a cope flask release the mould therein when a completed drag mould is brought against the cope mould held in the cope flask.

With the foregoing consideration in mind, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a foundry flask characterized by flask sides and ends, a paired side and an end being separable from a second paired side and end, and being provided with structure whereby such pairs are joined at a mitred corner and controllably brought together during the moulding operation and separated for release of the mould within such flask.

Another object is to provide a moulding flask having a pair of opposed corner members which are guided for movement in vertical directions, and which provide abutments for paired sides and ends adapted to move against such corner members and away therefrom in the steps of moulding within such flask and release of the mould therefrom.

Another object is to provide opposed corner members for a foundry flask, and to provide structure therein for moving paired flask sides and ends away from a mould therein, a side being connected rigidly to an end for move ment as a unit.

Still another object is to provide a guided foundry flask comprised of paired sides and ends connected together, and further connected at a mitred corner member, whereby each paired side and end may move as a unit away from the mitred corners, and to provide a guide at the corner of intersection of a paired side and end for guiding such paired side and end during such movement.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a study of the specification following taken with the drawings which together describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles of the invention. Other embodiments may be suggested to those having the benefit of the teachings herein, and such other embodiments are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the purview of the subjoined claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view showing an automatic matchplate moulding machine having an improved foundry flask according to the present invention particularly adapted for use therewith;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the foundry flask having the improvements according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view, parts being shown in section, of a portion of the flask seen in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view looking in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 the improved foundry flask according to the present invention is denoted by the reference numeral 10. It is particularly adapted for use with an automatic matchplate moulding machine seen in FIG. 1 and denoted by the reference numeral 15.

By way of environment for use of the improved foundry flask 10, the same is incorporated in the moulding machine 15, the latter consisting of a base frame 16 supporting a stage 17 for a ram device 18. Corner frame members 19 extend upward from the stage 18, and the base 16 also forms a support for an oil reservoir 21 containing a supply of hydraulic oil for operation of various hydraulic motors for operation of the machine 15. A pair of vertical members 20, 20 flank the oil reservoir 21, and extend upward from the base 16. The upper ends of the corner frame members 19 and the vertical members 20, 20 have Z-shaped upper frame members 23 secured thereto. The vertical frame members 20 also provide a support for a cabinet 24 having a closure 26, the cabinet 24 enclosing various control mechanisms merely incidental to the operation of machine 15.

The matchplate moulding machine 15 can be considered as having a first moulding station denoted Station I for filling a drag flask, and a second moulding station denoted Station II for receiving the filled drag flask from Station I for filling the foundry flask 10, which herein may be denoted also as a cope flask 10, placing pressure against the filled drag and cope flasks, subsequently separating the filled drag flask from the filled cope flask, separating the drag flask from the drag mould, and finally lightly engaging the drag mould against the cope mould while the same is released from the cope flask 10 to provide a finished mould at Station II.

An inverted drag flask 27 is located at Station I and has a matchplate 28 secured thereto in any convenient fashion. Matchplate 28 is provided wit-h pattern halves P and P and drag flask 27 is arranged to be held in a yoke 29 embracing the sides of the drag flask 27. In FIG. 2 the drag flask 27 is shown in its inverted position, and is adapted to rest in inverted position upon the yoke 29. The drag flask 27 is shown in its inverted position for filling, and the yoke 29 supports a chute 34 surmounted thereon, chute 34 lying under a filling hopper 36 for the moulding sand. The moulding sand is adapted to fall gravity into a metering hopper 37, and a metered amount of moulding sand is adapted to fall into chute 34 and inverted drag flask 27.

As seen in FIG. 1, a charge of moulding sand is dropped by gravity from the metering hopper 37 into the chute 34 the yoke 29 for the passage of a bottom board BB held 1n a hopper 39. Structure is provided for advancing the 3 )OlltOlTiIllOSl. board BB from the stack S thereof, and conists of a slide 41 movable by rock arms 42 and 43 fast )n a stub shaft 44. The slide 41 is moved to a position to Jush bottom board BB atop the inverted flask 27 by a fluid motor 46.

In so moving to the position atop the inverted flask 27, Jottom board BB has the function of striking ofi the ex- :ess of moulding sand from the flask 27 whereupon bot- :om board BB is in position to be clamped to flask 27. After such clamping of bottom board BB to inverted flask 27, the latter is rotated through 180 and advanced to Station II atop the ram 18.

When the filled drag flask 27 is in position atop the ram 1-8, the pattern P is now uppermost, and the filled drag flask 27 is adapted to be moved into a position of register with the cope flask with the pattern P extending therewithin. The ram 18 is arranged to move the filled drag flask to such position whereupon the cope flask 10 will receive a supply of moulding sand.

Structure is provided for filling the cope flask 10 which is mounted for movement along rails 47 made part of the corner frame members 19, the cope flask 19, see FIG. 2, having rollers 48 at the corners thereof engaging the rails 47.

Structure is provided for receiving a quantity of the moulding sand from the fill hopper 36, delivering the sand to the metering hopper '37, and moving the metering hopper 37 to the position atop the cope flask 1th to fill the same. The upper frame members 23 accordingly support for longitudinal movement with respect thereto a sand car 49, it being mounted for movement on upper frame members 23 on wheels, not shown. The sand car 49 is secured to a piston rod 51 of a car moving cylinder 52. The car 49 together with the metering hopper 37 is adapted to be moved to the left as seen in FIG. 1 to a position atop the cope flask 10. The ram 18 has in the meantime been operated to cause the drag flask 27 and its matchplate 28 to be moved into a position of contact with the cope flask 10. When the sand car 49 has moved to a position above the cope flask It the fill hopper 36 thereon dumps a metered batch of sand into the cope flask 10.

After such filling of the cope flask 10, the sand car 49 returns to the position seen in FIG. 1, where a squeeze head 53 mounted at one end thereof is in position atop the now filled cope flask 10. The ram 18 together with drag flask 27 moves upward against the squeeze head 53 to consolidate the sand within the cope flask 10 and the drag flask 27 firmly against the patterns P and P secured to the matchplate 28.

Upon the completion of the compaction of the moulding sand in the cope and drag flasks as described, the filled drag flask 27 is retracted, the filled cope flask 10 moving down against the stops 54 on the rails 47. The ram 18 continues its downward movement, and as it continues its downward movement the drag mould is removed from the drak flask 27, and the latter is then retrieved to be returned to its position in the yoke Zfi, as seen in FIG. 1.

The drag mould is now on the bottom board BB on ram 18 to be moved against the now filled cope flask 10 to lightly engage the mould therewithin, so that upon release of the cope flask 16 the cope mould therewithinwill rest upon the drag mould already prepared. Structure is also provided for releasing the mould within the cope flask 10 by moving the sides and ends thereof laterally of themselves.

To this end, and as seen particularly in FIGS. 2 to 5, the cope flask 10 is provided with opposed sides 56 and opposed ends 57, each paired side and end being joined at a mitred corner member 58, such corner members 58 being diagonally opposite each other. The mitred corner members 58 are each coextensive with a bracket 59 supporting the rollers 48 guided on the vertical rails 47.

The opposite ends of sides 56 and the opposite ends of ends 57 are arranged to be in releasable engagement with a mitre corner plate 61. Side 56 accordingly has a mitre end 62, as does end 57, the faces of such mitre ends moving into engagement with such mitre corner plate 61, there being a closing gasket 63 between such mitred ends and the mitre corner plate 61.

The opposing mitre ends 62 are adapted to be held in releasable engagement against mitre corner plate 61 by means of a pair of studs 65 threaded into an abutment 64 at the mitre corner 62 of end member 57 and extending without threaded engagement through mitre corner plate 61 and through an abutment 66 at the mitre corner 62 of side member 56. Studs 65 have locking nuts 67 bearing against a cylinder head 68 having a counter bore 69 adapted to receive a piston 71 hearing against abutment 66. Piston 71 has clearance with respect to the cylinder head 68, so that pressure fluid may be introduced to a chamber 72 by means of a drilled passage 73 in cylinder head 68.

Pressure applied to the chamber 72 holds the side 56 and the end 57 to the mitred corner plate 61, but upon release of such pressure the side 56 and end 57 move somewhat laterally as indicated by the arrows seen in FIG. 2. Such movement is achieved by springs 74 held in spring pockets 76 in the mitre corner plate 61 and acting against the abutments 64 and 66. Dowel pins 77 tightly held in the mitre corner plate 61 project with a sliding fit in the abutments 64 and 66 maintain the assembly thus far described in alignment.

When the drag mould is moved against the cope mould within the cope flask 10 and the pressure is released in the chamber 72 while the drag mould is lightly engaged against the underside of the cope mould, the latter rests upon the drag mould and is removed as the ram 18 moves downward.

It may be noted in FIG. 2 that the corner member 58 between the rigidly connected side 56 and end 57 causes the support bracket 59 and the rollers 48 to move along the rail 47 thereat, while there is no such movement at the other diagonal corners. The movement of the flask sides and ends is shown by the arrows in FIG. 2.

Having thus described this invention in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, and having set forth the best mode contemplated of carrying out this invention, the subject matter regarded as being patentable is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in what is claimed, it being understood that equivalents or modifications of, or substitutions for, parts of the above specifically described embodiment may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in what is claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination of a rectangular shaped foundry flask and a guide for movement of said flask on said guide between a position where moulding sand therein is compacted and a position where the compacted mould therein is released, said guide comprising guide rails marking rectangular corners spaced from the rectangular corners of said flask, said flask having diagonally opposed fixed corners including guide means at said corners for guiding said flask at corresponding ones of said guide rails for movement between said positions, said flask having diagonally opposed mitred ends at the other corners thereof, means disposed between each pair of mitred ends including guide means mounted on each of said means for guiding said flask at other corresponding ones of said guide rails for movement between said positions, and fluid pressure means acting across said means for causing the mitred ends contiguous to said means to move towards and away from said means in accordance with a moulding operation within said flask and release of a compacted mould therewithin.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said means supports spring means-for moving said mitred ends away from said means upon release of said fluid pressure means.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said means supports dowel means for maintaining alignment of said mitred ends with said means.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,223,563 12/ 1940 Hines 22-106 2,568,905 9/ 1951 Wiehsner 22l09 X 2,624,926 1/1953 Klimek 2296 X 2,857,640 10/1958 Witte 22107 J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner. E. MAR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A RECTANGULAR SHAPED FOUNDRY FLASK AND A GUIDE FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID FLASK ON SAID GUIDE BETWEEN A POSITION WHERE MOULDING SAND THEREIN IS COMPACTED AND A POSITION WHERE THE COMPACTED MOULD THEREIN IS RELEASED, SAID GUIDE COMPRISING GUIDE RAILS MARKING RECTANGULAR CORNERS SPACED FROM THE RECTANGULAR CORNERS OF SAID FLASK, SAID FLASK HAVING DIAGONALLY OPPOSED FIXED CORNERS INCLUDING GUIDE MEANS AT SAID CORNERS FOR GUIDING SAID FLASK AT CORRESPONDING ONES OF SAID GUIDE RALS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS, SAID FLASK HAVING DIAGONALLY OPPOSED MITRED ENDS AT THE OTHER CORNERS THEREOF, MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF MITRED ENDS INCLUDING GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID FLASK AT OTHER CORRESPONDING ONES OF SAID GUIDE RAILS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS, AND FLUID PRESSURE MEANS ACTING ACROSS SAID MEANS FOR CAUSING THE MITRED ENDS CONTIGUOUS TO SAID MEANS TO MOVE TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM SAID MEANS IN ACCORDANCE WITH A MOULDING OPERATION WITHIN SAID FLASK AND RELEASE OF A COMPACTED MOULD THEREWITH. 